layer up for winter in sleek and sustainable style

The hardest part about going green for me has been to find contemporary clothes. That’s why I’m always glad to see a company with socially and environmentally responsible business practices create more stylish designs like the Patagonia Women's Down With It Vest. It has a great contoured fit with a removable hood and is made of all-recycled polyester.

Patagonia’s website has a section called The Footprint Chronicles that lets you track the environmental impact of some of their clothes. You can view the supply chain of certain styles and see how far they travel to end up in your closet. I applaud the company for their transparent approach. For example the Patagonia Women's Down Sweater uses down from humanely raised geese and has a light shell of recycled polyester. But the product is not yet recyclable. Then you can even view the travel distance, energy consumption, carbon dioxide emission, and generation of waste. I couldn’t find the vest on their list. But I’ve been wearing it for the last few weeks and really like it. It has been great for fall and will carry me through winter with its 600-fill-power premium European goose-down insulation. You can choose between black and two plaid colors: Goji Berry and Raven. The eco-friendly vest has been perfect for running errands on the weekends and spending time in Central Park. It really motivates me to go outside and get my daily dose of sunshine vitamin.